Kulgam Clash Leaves Two Soldiers, Two Terrorists Dead
SRINAGAR: A deadly encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district claimed the lives of two Indian Army soldiers and two terrorists on Monday, bringing the region’s security personnel death toll to 19 this year. The clash occurred in the dense Guddar forests of south Kashmir during a joint operation involving the Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Jammu and Kashmir Police, prompted by intelligence reports of terrorist activity in the area.
The operation began when security forces, acting on specific intelligence, launched a search in the Guddar forest. As they closed in, the concealed terrorists initiated gunfire, sparking an intense exchange. One terrorist was neutralized in the initial confrontation, followed by a second as the skirmish continued, according to officials cited by The Times of India. The identities of the slain terrorists, one of whom is suspected to be a Pakistani national, are still under investigation.
Tragically, Subedar Perbhat Gaur and Lance Naik Narender Sindhu of the Indian Army lost their lives in the firefight. Their deaths mark a somber addition to the growing list of security personnel killed in Jammu and Kashmir this year. The operation underscores the ongoing challenges faced by forces combating militancy in the region.
This incident follows another prolonged operation in Kulgam’s Akhal Khulsan forests from August 1 to 13, where two soldiers, Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, were killed. That 11-day offensive, one of the longest in recent years, saw security forces deploy drones for aerial surveillance after terrorists retreated into dense ravines. The Times of India reported that 18 terrorists have been killed in Kashmir this year, including three Lashkar-e-Taiba commanders gunned down in Srinagar on July 28, linked to an earlier attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
Security operations in the region remain heightened as forces work to curb terrorist activities in the challenging terrain of south Kashmir.